Bellows



A. sAFoRcADA 2,096,066

BELLOWS Filed NOV. 16, 19,35

uw ATroRNEYS Oct. 19, 1937.

Patented Oct. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES BELLoWs Anibal Julio Saforcada,Martinez,v Argentina A Application November 16, 1935,-SerialLNo.. 50,246In- Argentina April 30, 1935 V8 Claims. (Cl. 13T-156.5)

. The presentinvenuo abut td be described relates primarily to bellowsandV more especially to a mechanical element useful in the construc-Vtion of bellows.

' AA bellows built Aup in accordance withythe present inventioncomprises a sectional hermetically sealed construction, and is of `suchnature as to be capable of withstanding high fluid pressure. It,therefore, may be useful for various' purposes Where such conditions areencountered.

Y The primary unit or element in the bellows construction comprises asection constructed of materials used in and according to practices wellknown in the art of making'pneumatic tire casings for automobiles.V Thissection comprises a piece of rubber orother elastic material internallyreenforced withcords, textiles or other materials well known in themanufacture of tire casings. The" device comprises what may be termed abellows section having a'radial cross-section through one half of thedevice which is' a C- shaped channel with the arch of the C-shapedportion forming the crown andthe ends of the C-shaped portion being.elongated into extra length beads forY anchoring purposes.

The device is illustrated in the: preferred form, but it is to beunderstood that the invention may be embodied in other equivalent formsor structures.v

Other and further objects of the present in- Ve'ntion will' in part' beobvious and will in part be pointed out hereinafter by reference to theaccompanying drawing in which like parts are indicated .by likecharacters.

Fi'g. lv is a view illustrating a cross-section through one embodimentof the present invention comprisingA -af sectional bellows arrangedwithin a pressure chamber. A

Fig. 2- illustratesanother construction in which the present inventionis utilized and wherein the bellows section is utilized as the sealingmember for the stem of a valve operating in the pressure chamber.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the bellows sections of the device. V

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the radialline A-B of Fig. 3 looking inthe direction of the arrows and illustrates the radial cross-section ofa section of the bellowsY as being similar to the radial cross-sectionof a tire casing.

'Ihe section I comprises a rubber construction reenforced by textiles,cords or other constructions 2 commonly used in the reenforcement ofrubber pneumatic tire casings such as are utilized on automobiles.' Thissection I Vconstitutes a ring having. radial cross-section in theVformofv a removable clincher'- rim automobile tire casing.

wherein the crown 4 of the member, in the present embodiment, istowardthe center and theY open channel 8 of the'niember isat'the,periphery thereof. The edges of this member are. folded V'at 'I toprovide. lipsor extensions` 6 whichsawith the side walls of the section,form an anchor pocket 5.` This pocket 5 is adapted to operateas anannularV coupling pocket that may -receive lips I1 attached to thelid I2of the chamber I3V (Fig. 1') and may also receive the lips Vfrom thering member I 6 which comprises a rigid member acting as a` coupling*between* adjacent rubber sections I`. 'I'he end of theV terminalbellows section mayzbe closed by a disc` I4 having lips that extendwithin the` annular passage 5 in the ter-- `minal bellows section I.'Wheredesiredg the disc Isv may be operatively connected with -a loadmember, such as a rod I5 sothat movementsgof the disc I4 arecommunicated to the rodsimilar to movements of a piston being`connectedwith;a pistonrod.. The ring'membersfl are4 somewhat like aninverted wheel rim adapted to holda.;

'clincher tire. Thesefmembers vI6 'are double cupped memberswith therims of the Ycupsfengaging the anchor pockets V5 of adjacent sections I.

In order to sustain the sections I (as shownin the present embodiment)against collapsing when subjected to high pressure, reenf'orcingx-tubes,II

may be set against the crown 4 ofthe bellows p section I. As illustratedinV Fig; 1, the bellows construction. is enclosed within the chamberlwhich is provided with anV outlet 9 so Ythatpressure may be accumulated.within thechamber. When pressure accumulates, it is communicatedtothe'bellows sections and to the disc I4-. .The pressure-on theportions 'and I'll (Fig.v 4);-.ofthe bellowslsections and on the; disc:I4 tends: to. collapse the structure and thereby force the piston Vrod.I5 outwardly from the chamber so that the .load on the rod I5 issustained by theair pressure acting on the bellows.

I 3v (Fig. 1v) on the bellows sections I is substanf tially the same asthe effect of internal air pressure on a tire-like construction in thatthe pressure is eil'ective on thegbellows sections by pressing at rightangles to the groove surfaces 3 andfIIJ through the open channel 8. Inother words, the bellows sections whether turned inwardly or outwardlyhave radial cross-sections that are substantially the same as pneumatictire casing 45 The effect of the air pressure in the chamber Y ncross-sections, and sustain fluid pressur'erinthe sameway.'vr i vThepresent construction, as more especially illustrated in Fig. 1, isadapted for use in mostY Y places where a piston and cylinderconstruction surrounding therrvalve stem Vopening'. The valve stern I8also carries a lip member 21... A bellows A Y 20 section l is mountedbetween the lip members Y26f and 21-in such Vmanner as :to forman'`elastic Vhermeticsealedrwlall surrounding therrvalve stem andtherebyeffectivelyipreventing escapeof fluid from within the chamber and aroundthe Vvalve stem. 5' This Fig. Y2 is merely' a further illustration of avuse of the bellows'secti'on.

v The present invention facilitates the economic Y Yconstruction of`sectional :bellows Ywhich fare of great'strength and flexibility.

8O Having described my invention, what I claim is :v Y'

t 1. Abellows construction comprising a plurality of hollow flexiblering sections, the radial Vcrosssection of each section beingsubstantially C- shaped and having reenforced rubber side walls, eachhollow flexible ringrsection having an open channel in the peripherythereof and the crown of each section being theY inner face thereof,meanstconnecting the edges of the side walls of onersection'rwithVthe'edges of the side wall of an 4.0 adjacent section in such mannerthatwhen said sections are subjected to pressure, the side walls l ofgafsingle section move relatively to each other While the'adjined sidewalls `of adjacent sections` are relatively immovable with relation toeach 45 other.

2. Abellows,constructioncomprising a plurality of fgrooved flexible ringsections, the radial crosssection of each section beingsubstantially C-shaped Aand having rubber side walls reenforced '50 by vtextilematerialembedded in the rubber, each` groovediiexible ring sectionhaving an open channelV Vin lthe periphery thereof and the crown ofeac-h section being the inner facevthereof, and

means connecting terminal portions of adjoining 55 side Walls ofadjacentsections in' such manner that pressure acting within thegrooveof each section tends to cause the side walls of such section .to moveaway from each other.

3'. A bellows comprising hollow flexible ring 60 sections, each'having asubstantially C-'shaped radial cross-smitiorl,V each hollow flexiblering Ysecpositioned between the chambers' 20 and 2l andV tionhaving anopen channel in the periphery thereofl and the crown of each sectionbeing the inner face thereof, a rigid ring member between the flexiblering sections and yjoining adjacent edges of adjoining flexiblesections, anda'load member connected with said sylphon.

4. As an article of manufacture, a flexible bel- Y n lows sectioncomprising a hollow rubber ringY reenforced with textile materials and'.having a.Y

substantially C-shaped radial cross-section, each hollow rubber ringhaving .an open channel in the periphery thereof and the crown of eachring being the innner surface thereof. Y

5.v An article of manufacture comprising al hollow flexible ring sectionof a bellows adapted to withstand fluid pressure, said section,comprising f ea rubber Ymember reenforced with textile means,V

said flexiblef ring sectionr havinglan open channel inthe peripherythereof andthe` crown of said section being the inner face thereof, thesides of said .member being moreflexiblcthan the crown thereof, saidmember having a' substantially `C- t Y shapedradial.cross-section. Y

' '6'. AYV bellows construction kcomprising an fadjacent pair 'of'hollow flexible sections, saidflexriphery thereof and the crown of eachsection being the inner face thereof, the Vflexibility of said YVible'sections having reenforced rubber side Walls Y Vand avsubstantially rigidannularring between saidadjacent flexible sections,eachhollowilexible section. havingv an ,open channel in vthe pebellowsVbeing limited substantially to said flexible rubbersections which maybecollapsed or extended' without collapsing orextendlng said substantiallyrigidv ring section. r

7. A bellows construction comprising adjacent pairs ofY hollow flexiblesection's,.eachof said'fiex'- ible sections having reenforced rubberside walls,

a substantially rigid annular-ring between` adjacent flexible sections,each flexible vsection haviingran open channel in the periphery thereofand the crown of each section beingrthe inner face thereof, arigidmember mounted within each section and contacting the crown vthereof insuch manner as to support `said crown against external forces tending tomove said crown toward the centerof the section. 1

8. A bellows construction. comprising pairs of adjacent hollow flexiblesections, each of said flexible sections having reenforced rubber'sidewalls and an open channel in the periphery of said section and the crownof each section being the inner face thereof, rigid members connectedyto the side walls of said'sections adjacent the said open channel, thefaces ofthe said rigid members being curved to support the adjacent,side walls vwhen the same are expanded'by fluid pressure applied to saidsections through said open` channel. A ANIBAL-JULIO SAFORCADA.

